How to 'owl prowl' in the Poconos

Sunday

Feb 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

It wasn't the incessant "meep, meep, meep" from the annoying alarm clock that started my winter morning, it was the serenaded and uncountable series of "who, who who, who, who, whos" that resonated from the nearby woodlot that called me to rise and shine.

Rick Koval

It wasn't the incessant "meep, meep, meep" from the annoying alarm clock that started my winter morning, it was the serenaded and uncountable series of "who, who who, who, who, whos" that resonated from the nearby woodlot that called me to rise and shine.

I skipped the habitual game of windmill slaps on the snooze button, and instead began to pinpoint the location of the calls. A pair of mated great horned owls were nesting in the forest nearby, and for me this meant another owl prowl.

Owls are those mysterious creatures of the night, hunting under the cloak of darkness. If it weren't for their ghostly sounds we often hear calling from forests, one would never know they existed. Owls have mastered the art of camouflage and are perhaps the best avian hiders. We hear them but hardly ever see them. However, when we discover the secret hiding place of an owl in the daytime, it's unforgettable.

I have devoted a great amount of time searching for owls. The most ardent endeavors were during the creation of my PowerPoint program called "How to Find Owls, for Those Who Give a Hoot!" In order to "talk it" I had to "walk it," which required walking in forests, swamps and conifer groves in search of secretive owls in order to take a variety of daytime photos.

To help you on your next owl prowl, I would like to share some successful techniques and enlightening experiences. Finding owls can be challenging and fun, but before you begin venturing in the woods, you should know about the "three Ls" — learn, look and listen.

We need to learn as much as possible about owls that inhabit and visit our region. There are plenty of guide books and Internet resources illustrating owls and their behaviors.

Learn what owls look like, what they eat and where they sleep and hide. Do they have a round head with long ear-like tufts of feathers? Do they have brown or yellow eyes? When and where do they nest?

Owls do not construct a nest but reclaim a used nest from a crow, hawk, squirrel or bald eagle. Several species of owls nest in tree cavities or nest boxes.

Learn that prime habitat plus prey equals owls. They are very hungry predators, and their young chicks are even hungrier. Learn which daytime avian predator is working the dayshift hunting in a certain area, as a similar-sized owl will take over the nightshift in the same habitat. For example, a large red-tailed hawk perched along the forest edge will be replaced at night by the large great horned owl. The tiny American kestrel hunting mice in the meadow will be replaced at night by the tiny eastern screech owl. These are great clues to knowing which habitat will support what owl.

Finally, learn the calls of owls. Learn who makes horse-like whinnies, "toot-toots," "who whos" and "who cooks for you all." Knowing the owner of the sound will help in your daytime search.

Look for "owl sign," the tell-tale evidence that indicates an owl is nearby. Most owls, especially the larger species, tend to seek daytime shelters in conifers — the thicker the better. They perch high above on a limb and each day cast pellets of undigested fur and bones. Look for these hair balls on the forest floor. They can be easily found, especially on a blanket of snow.

Size matters when it comes to owl pellets. Owls are gulpers when they eat their prey, sometimes consumed whole. I have found tiny shrew skulls in some pellets and large muskrat skulls and opossum jaw bones in others. The largest apple-sized pellets are claimed by great horned owls, while the tiny grape-sized pellets are from northern saw-whet and eastern screech owls. The in-between sized pellets are from long-eared, barred and barn owls, where habitat typically separates these species.

Look for "whitewash" as well. Whitewash is the thick, paint-like excrement from owls that sometimes paints the trunks, limbs, branches and forest floor beneath their roost.

When you find owl pellets and a splattering of whitewash on the ground, look up! Many times, I was delighted to see a pair of bright yellow eyes of a great horned owl staring down at me.

January is the best time to search for female great horned owls sitting on a nest. They are the earliest nesting bird species in North America.

In the forest where you heard the nighttime hoots, look in trees for every large shape including leafy squirrel nests and stick nest structures. Your clump may turn out to be a beehive or sleeping raccoon or porcupine.

Look carefully, as you might find a feathered hump hiding over the nest. If you find the female great horned owl hiding on her nest, look around the surrounding trees for her mate.

I enjoy searching for great horned owls in forestry settings, which lack conifers. Look diligently in dense grape vines and greenbrier thickets. On several occasions, I found pairs of hidden owls in these tangles.

For the cavity dwellers, grab a pair of binoculars and scan each and every tree hole, open snag and cavity. Also, search every large nest box, especially wood duck boxes. Look for openings that face the sun. I have often found in the entrance holes "housecat faces" of eastern screech owls catching rays of sunshine.

Owls are very vocal birds of prey. Most call at night, some at dawn and dusk, while a few call during mid-day. Owls call to attract a mate, announce territories or in response to their own calls made from a human imitator.

Give your best hoot and listen ... you just might hear in the distance a response hoot. Barred owls can often be lured to the tree right beside you, so remain patient and quiet.

Listen for the raucous alarm calls of birds. Crows hate owls and justifiably so, as great horned owls hunt crows on their nighttime roost. When an owl or any other large bird of prey in found by crows, they mob the avian predator with caws and dive-bombs until it leaves the vicinity. I have found many of the larger owls after being alerted by the sounds of mobbing crows.

Even tiny songbirds get in on the action. Listen for unusual agitated behavior of songbirds, especially mixed groups. They might lead you to the hidden retreat of a northern saw-whet owl or eastern screech owl.

I will never forget a holiday visit to my birding friend's farm. As I walked to the front door, I heard a mess of chickadees and tufted titmice chattering in a stand of ornamental pines near the porch. I ventured into the conifers and found the cause of the commotion, a rare long-eared owl. I quickly alerted my two friends, Nancy and Bob. Bob informed me he has birded his farm for more than 50 years and never found a long-eared owl.

By understanding the three Ls — learn, look and listen — you increase your chances of finding owls. If you use these tips on your next owl prowl, you just might get excited when you find apple-sized pellets at your feet and even more excited when you look up and see a pair of hypnotic, yellow eyes staring down at you. Whoooo knows?

Contact Rick Koval at pocononaturalist@yahoo.com or write to him at PO Box 454, Dallas, PA 18612.

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